1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 136
 1-3           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County Day at the State Capitol will
 1-4     be celebrated February 1, 2001, and the Texas Senate takes great
 1-5     pleasure in recognizing this important region whose citizens
 1-6     have contributed immeasurably to the Lone Star State; proudly
 1-7     representing their county on that day will be residents of
 1-8     Jim Wells County and the cities of Alice, Orange Grove, Premont
 1-9     and San Diego; and
1-10           WHEREAS, Alice recently opened two new state-of-the-art
1-11     medical facilities, Alice Regional Hospital and Christus Spohn
1-12     Hospital-Alice; in addition, Alice has been known as the birthplace
1-13     of Tejano music and is home to the newly dedicated Tejano R.O.O.T.S
1-14     Hall of Fame Museum; and
1-15           WHEREAS, In the early 1500s, Alvar Nunez de Cabeza de Vaca
1-16     explored the area known today as Jim Wells County, and his records
1-17     tell of tuna or prickly pear festivals held annually by his coastal
1-18     Indian captors around the present day City of Alice; and
1-19           WHEREAS, Originally a part of Nueces County,
1-20     Jim Wells County was created and organized by the Texas Legislature
1-21     on March 11, 1911, and the City of Alice became the county seat;
1-22     the county was named for a prominent political figure and land
 2-1     developer, James B. Wells, Jr., who was also purchasing agent for
 2-2     the King Ranch; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, The area comprising Jim Wells County figures
 2-4     prominently in the early days of Texas for the land had become
 2-5     a part of Texas after it gained its independence from Mexico in
 2-6     1836; and
 2-7           WHEREAS, There were extensive land holdings in the area
 2-8     owned by N. G. Collins before early settlers to the region arrived
 2-9     in 1850; they brought only the barest necessities with them to
2-10     build a general store and a trading post east of present day Alice;
2-11     the town of Collins was short-lived since the San Antonio and
2-12     Aransas Pass Railroad was built two miles west of the community when
2-13     landowners refused to sell the right-of-way through the town; and
2-14           WHEREAS, In 1886, a new town developed where two rail lines
2-15     intersected; after several name changes, the new town of Alice,
2-16     named for Alice King, began to develop economically; located at
2-17     that time in the northwestern part of Nueces County, the town
2-18     eventually became the largest cattle shipping point in the world;
2-19     and
2-20           WHEREAS, Located in the geographical heart of South Texas,
2-21     along the "Texas Tropical Trail," Alice is known as the "Hub of
2-22     South Texas" due to its strategic location at the intersection
2-23     of State Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 281; and
2-24           WHEREAS, Along with the oil business, ranching, cattle
 3-1     shipping and cotton and grain production, a fine public school
 3-2     system, modern hospitals, and an expanding health-related service
 3-3     industry combine to drive the local economy; and
 3-4           WHEREAS, Situated on primary United States-Mexico trade
 3-5     routes connecting Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley with the
 3-6     Port of Corpus Christi, the City of Alice and Jim Wells County
 3-7     are developing into a major "Hub of International Trade"; U.S. 281
 3-8     has been named in the National Highway System Designation Act of
 3-9     1995 as a key link in the future I-69 NAFTA Superhighway System;
3-10     and
3-11           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County has been an important agricultural
3-12     area that contributed to the development of the Southwestern part
3-13     of the United States; since the mid-1800s when the famous Chisholm
3-14     Trail passed through the county, the cattle industry has played
3-15     a major role in its economy; mesquite brush and grasses in the
3-16     western part are ideal grazing conditions for livestock, and
3-17     coastal plains to the east produce coastal Bermuda and vegetables;
3-18     and
3-19           WHEREAS, In 1936, the first notable oil activity in the
3-20     county began and the first major oil producer, The Texas Royalty
3-21     Corporation and Lucy Petroleum Company No. 1, was bought northeast
3-22     of Alice; the oil rush brought many new families to
3-23     Jim Wells County; and
3-24           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County history has been carefully
 4-1     preserved at the South Texas Museum, a Texas Historical Landmark,
 4-2     which has an outstanding collection of historical artifacts and
 4-3     exhibits; donated by the McGill Family, the museum was the
 4-4     old ranch headquarters; this great museum recently started a
 4-5     significant building project that will expand and enhance its
 4-6     ability to provide county residents with an exemplary view of
 4-7     South Texas history; and
 4-8           WHEREAS, Proud of their unique heritage, the citizens of
 4-9     Jim Wells County have retained the social fabric of their culture
4-10     through fiestas, county fairs, rodeos, and outdoor activities,
4-11     including hunting, water sports and other popular recreational
4-12     events; and
4-13           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County Day at the State Capitol is
4-14     an appropriate occasion for the Texas Senate to recognize the
4-15     residents of Jim Wells County and to commend them for their
4-16     excellent accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
4-17           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
4-18     77th Legislature, hereby declare February 1, 2001, as
4-19     Jim Wells County Day and join its citizens as they celebrate
4-20     their county's greatness; and, be it further
4-21           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
4-22     the citizens of Jim Wells County, and that copies be presented
4-23     to County Judge Arnoldo Saenz, Mayor Fidel R. Rul Jr. of Alice,
4-24     Mayor Truett Thomas of Orange Grove, Mayor Norma Tullos of Premont,
 5-1     and Mayor Alfredo E. Cardenas of San Diego as an expression of the
 5-2     admiration and appreciation of the Texas Senate.
 5-3                                                    Truan
 5-4           Armbrister           Gallegos            Ogden
 5-5           Barrientos           Harris              Shapiro
 5-6           Bernsen              Haywood             Shapleigh
 5-7           Bivins               Jackson             Sibley
 5-8           Brown                Lindsay             Staples
 5-9           Cain                 Lucio               Van de Putte
5-10           Carona               Madla               Wentworth
5-11           Duncan               Moncrief            West
5-12           Ellis                Nelson              Whitmire
5-13           Fraser                                   Zaffirini
5-14                      Ratliff, President of the Senate
5-15                                  ______________________________________
5-16                                          President of the Senate
5-17                                       I hereby certify that the above
5-18                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
5-19                                  on January 30, 2001.
5-20                                  ______________________________________
5-21                                          Secretary of the Senate
5-22                                  ______________________________________
5-23                                            Dean of the Senate